Literature got a boost

Literature got a boost following the announcement of a novel literary prize, by telecom major, Globacom, on August 28. Named “Glo Literature Prize for Undergraduate Students,” the idea is timely and welcome.

Gloworld Coordinator, Ebenezer Kolawole, who announced the prize, said it would be awarded yearly based on a writing competition open to all students of Nigerian universities. It was fitting that the prize was publicised at an event connected with the Nigerian literary luminary and Nobelist Wole Soyinka – “Evening with Wole Soyinka and Nigeria’s Outstanding Literary Stars”, held at the Convention Centre of Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The first edition of the award is billed to hold in 2016 and entries are expected to be original and unpublished manuscripts. Kolawole said: ‘“Our objective is to promote the study of all genres of literature. Therefore, Globacom is offering prizes to winners in the following categories: Prose, Drama, and Poetry. The winner in each category will receive the sum of N1.5m.”

It is, importantly, the first prize in the country that would be awarded for all the three genres of literature at the same time, rather than the familiar format of rotation among the literary forms. It is a commendable sign of the seriousness of the organisers that the panel of judges for the prize includes distinguished literary names expected to ensure a credible process:  Professor Femi Osofisan; Professor (Mrs.) Akachi Ezeigbo of the University of Lagos; Professor Umar Buratai, Dean, Faculty of the Arts, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; Professor Olu Obafemi of the University of Ilorin, and Dr. Promise Ogochukwu, who is the secretary of the panel.

There is no doubt that the introduction of the prize will inspire new writing and promote literary creativity in the country’s tertiary educational institutions. It may be described as a catch-them-young approach, and the country’s significant writers of the future may well be produced on this platform.

It is appropriate to acknowledge Globacom’s contribution to literary development in the country, particularly its sponsorship of the $20,000 Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa organised by the Lumina Foundation, which is awarded biennially to recognise the best literary work by an African writer.  The new Globacom prize for undergraduates represents a reinforcement of its services to Literature.

The beauty of Globacom’s involvement in literary promotion is that it bridges telecom and literary activity in an exemplary fashion. It is a positive demonstration of corporate social responsibility which recommends itself in a land in need of innovative ideas in that area. Literature and the arts in general ought to attract greater support from big players in the corporate sector as a way of giving back to the society in which they operate profitably. In this regard, it is noteworthy that another telecom company is behind the Etisalat Prize for Literature, a pan-African prize for “first-time writers of published fiction books.”

It is a testimony to good thinking that Literature is being supported and promoted by corporate entities at a time when there are serious public criticisms of alleged decline in writing skills among the country’s youths in an age that is more visual than literary. Reading and writing are essential skills in a literate society, and the literary focus of the Globacom undergraduate prize has the potential to release new energies in the relevant spheres of authority in the pursuit of an acceptable literacy level in the country.

Before now, at no time did undergraduates in the country have the kind of exclusive opening to strive for excellence in creative writing offered by the Globacom prize. It is hoped that the prize will be sustained by the company well into the future.

-The Nation